VINOUS

Podere Uccelliera is located on the south-eastern slope of the hill of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, where the view falls on the extinct volcano Monte Amiata and the breeze from the Orcia Valley blows through the vineyards. Not a large estate, not a marketing machine. Nine hectares, one man, one idea of wine. Andrea Cortonesi comes from a Mezzadria family that cultivated these lands for generations, long before Brunello was a word the world knew. In 1986, he bought the old Podere – with centuries-old olive trees, half a hectare of vines and the firm intention of creating something lasting here. He had previously worked at Ciacci Piccolomini, Poggio di Sotto and Mastrojanni – as a cellar master, as an observer, as a learner. What he took with him was not a recipe. It was a flair. He vinified his first Brunello in 1991.

On the full bouquet we find ripe dark fruits complemented by spiced oranges, sage and mint with a hint of green olive. On the palate, velvety textures are contrasted by cooling acids, while polished black fruits wash over the senses, leaving a mix of salty minerals and fine tannins with a hint of violet flowers. The finish is long, packed with masses of ripe blackberries, plums and sweet herbal tones, but also perfectly structured and, for all its youthfulness, very balanced and harmonious. Luigi Moio and his team have interpreted this vintage brilliantly and once again set new standards with this single-vineyard Aglianico. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the Fornace come from a vineyard high in the hills of Castelnuovo dell'Abate. It is only vinified separately in the best vintages in a small production run of around 3,000 bottles. In the glass, Fornace presents itself with a saturated, dark garnet-red colour. It makes a great first impression, which is enhanced by the depth and intensity of its flavours. Its personality is slender, refined and noble. This wine eschews the classic primary flavours of red and purple fruit, instead composing a beautiful symphony of spices, balsamic herbs and camphor ash. A wonderful wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Just a few metres down the slope from the legendary Bricco Boschis lies a cru that was long overshadowed by its famous neighbour until Cavallotto recognised the potential of this unique location in 1989: the Vignolo. On 1.96 hectares of steep south-west-facing slopes, where 10,700 Nebbiolo vines planted in 1948 and 1966 are rooted in calcareous marl, a Barolo with a completely different personality is created – more elegant, more floral, more seductive than the powerful wines from Bricco Boschis. Vignolo embodies the feminine side of Cavallatto – a wine that does not impress through power, but enchants through finesse. The site, 60-80 metres lower than Bricco Boschis, benefits from a milder microclimate and a different geological composition, which produces wines with "soft and sweet" tannins – already accessible in their youth, but with the potential for decades of development.

The fruit for this Brunello comes from a 14.4 hectare south-facing vineyard with loamy soils and lots of boulders. Complex, dark and earthy bouquet of ripe black cherries, enriched with notes of dried flowers, spices, crushed stones and a hint of animal musk. The palate reveals silky textures and pure Sangiovese fruit, underpinned by earthy tones supported by a network of minerals and tannins. The mouthfeel is always lean, tangy and soft, although you can feel the wine's full body and great appeal at all times. The final is polished and refined and lasts for several minutes. SUPERIORE.DE

Sibi et paucis – for the few who understand that great wines are not in a hurry. Sandrone retains around 10 per cent of the production from each Aleste vintage and allows these bottles to mature for a full decade longer in his own cellar. What could have been released in September 2019 remains dormant until today – and is becoming something that goes beyond regular Barolo.

The crown jewel of Le Cinciole bears a name that reveals its origins: Petresco, derived from the stony soils of this special single vineyard that Valeria Viganò and Luca Orsini planted over twenty years ago at an altitude of 470 metres. Here, where the Sangiovese vines are optimally positioned above the Panzano valley, one of the region's most exceptional Supertuscans is produced year after year. The 2019 epitomises the estate's uncompromising philosophy: only the very best grapes, hand-picked and carefully selected, find their way into this masterpiece. Spontaneous fermentation in cement tanks at a maximum temperature of 28 degrees preserves the original power of the Sangiovese before the wine completes its malolactic fermentation in French oak barriques. The Petresco rests for twenty-four months in a sophisticated combination of large barrels and barriques – a balanced blend that gives the wine depth without masking its original elegance. A further year in cement vats and at least twelve months of ageing in the bottle complete the development of this exceptional Sangiovese.

In 2001, the brothers Piero and Lodovico Antinori, together with their nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi, recognised the extraordinary potential of the hills of Bibbona in the upper Maremma. Instinct, passion and centuries of family experience led to a parcel-by-parcel study that would eventually become the birth of Tenuta di Biserno. The terroir of these 40 hectares at an altitude of 90 metres is of extraordinary complexity: mainly alluvial and clay-limestone soils that create the ideal environment for Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The different exposures and the distance from the sea characterise the varietal expression so strongly that the decision in favour of two production lines was obvious: Biserno – the most prestigious and representative wine of the estate – and Il Pino di Biserno.

Riserva is not an automatic process at Fuligni. It is created when a vintage deserves it – and when the estate's oldest vineyards have produced something that is more than Brunello. More than good. 1972, 1976, 2002: vintages in which Fuligni simply did not bring any Brunello onto the market because the quality was not right. This consistency is rare, because you have to be able and willing to afford it. It is also the foundation on which a Riserva acquires its very special meaning. 2020 was not an easy year. Warm, dry, early ripening – a vintage that many producers dismissed as too lush, too soft. Fuligni saw it differently. The north-east-facing sites in Cottimelli, between 380 and 450 metres, on Galestro – stony, cool, with natural acidity even in hot years – dampened the heat and preserved the freshness. What was a challenge in flatter, warmer sites resulted in concentrated, healthy grapes with depth and surprising elegance. The oldest vines on the estate, over forty years old, with reduced yields and highly concentrated juice, provided the material for the selection.

At 618 metres above sea level, where the air already carries the coolness of the mountains and the view sweeps over the entire Chianti Valley, lies one of the most venerable vineyards in Tuscany: Coltassala – once born as a rebellious Supertuscan, today ennobled as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from the UGA Radda, embodies the revolution and evolution of Tuscan viticulture like no other wine. In 1980, Federica Mascheroni Stianti's family took the plunge: when the DOC system was still forcing Trebbiano and Malvasia into Chianti, they pressed a pure Sangiovese wine up here in small barriques based on the French model instead of the traditional large Slavonia barrels. What was then still misjudged as Vino da Tavola heralded a new era. Today, with the new UGA rules of Chianti Classico (Unita Geografiche Aggiunte, in Germany one would say Lage, in France Cru), Coltassala is finally finding its well-deserved home – as a Gran Selezione from the Radda geographical unit, which stands for the most extreme and elegant expressions of Chianti Classico. The altitude gives the 2021 vintage that characteristic freshness that makes Radda so unique – despite the warm weather, the wine retains its crystalline acidity and vibrancy.

In 1978, the first bottle of Brunello from Casanova di Neri found its way onto the market – then still called "Vino Rosso dai Vigneti di Brunello", five years after the first harvest. Giovanni Neri had found his dream and his son Giacomo began to realise it. The white label was there from the very beginning – and still is today. The Brunello White Label comes from specially designated vineyards around Podere Fiesole to the east of Montalcino – the same vineyards from which the estate has been making its Brunello for over four decades. After a cool, slow spring, 2021 brought a balancing, dry summer and even ripening into September.

Luigi Moio is one of the most famous professors of viticulture and oenology in Italy and the Cru Vigna Quintodecimo is his red showpiece in the stable. This wine possesses a unique and seductive class, a richness and elegance that outshines the entire volcanic appellation. The initially restrained bouquet only gradually opens up in layers, releasing new impressions every minute. Violets, ripe blackberries, blueberry skins, plums and white smoke unfold like a surprise bag and are reflected in the energetic mouthfeel together with finely woven tannins and a fresh interplay of fruit and acidity. The texture is impressively silky and emphasises the tremendous elegance and harmony of this exceptional Aglianico, which will reach its most exciting phase in 10-15 years at the earliest. SUPERIORE.DE

In the Castello district of Lessona, there is a single, rounded hill at an altitude of 350 metres. It is called Covà. It has belonged to Proprietà Sperino for generations, and it is the place where Luca De Marchi brings out the best Lessona has to offer. The vineyard itself has no spectacular story on its lips – no dramatic southern exposure, no special soil formation that separates it from its neighbours.

South Tyrol's Chardonnay legend writes another chapter. Since 1994, the Löwengang has characterised the perception of Alpine white wine excellence like no other. The historic estate above Margreids holds a secret: Chardonnay vines, whose roots reach up to five decades deep into the South Tyrolean soil, thrive on barren limestone soils between 230 and 330 metres. The warm microclimate with its nightly drops in temperature produces grapes of concentrated minerality. The Lageder family gives this terroir free rein. Organic farming without compromise, spontaneous fermentation in hand-picked barriques from the Tronçais and Vosges forests. One third new wood lends structure, while eleven months on the lees give the wine its silky texture. A further twelve months of ageing in the cellar bring the final harmony.

The grapes for the Annata, which was certified organic for the first time in 2020, come from a 13-hectare site at an altitude of 500 metres. The soils here are somewhat lighter and stonier than the average for the appellation, with slate-rich Galestro and calcareous Alberese. As always, Poggio Antico's 2020 vintage is authentic and classic, with bright fruit tones, wild cherries, roasted nuts, blue flowers and forest floor. While the other wines in the portfolio mature in smaller tonneaux, this wine is aged in large Slavonian barrels. We like the energetic lift and the simultaneous brightness of the fruit - the winery achieves this like no other. As the wine progresses, the approach is very delicate with a convincing intensity of floral aromas and a silky mouthfeel. A lively acidity ensures balance and freshness right to the end, while a salty, mineral note is added on the finish. As always, this Brunello from the best winery is a safe bet! SUPERIORE.DE

Before there was Barolo, before Barbaresco bore its name, there was Boca. In 1300, a chronicler from Novara described the wines from these hills as "famous since ancient times". Perhaps even before the Romans. Today, seven centuries later, Boca is almost forgotten – a DOC with barely more than 15 hectares, surrounded by woods that were once vineyards. The fact that we have this wine in our glass at all is thanks to a Swiss man who decided to revitalise a dying appellation at the end of the 1990s. Christoph Künzli took over Antonio Cerri's legacy and with him a philosophy that knows no compromise: large barrels, long ageing, no intervention. The Boca is made from 85% Nebbiolo – here called Spanna – and 15% Vespolina, the capricious grape variety that contributes spice and floral sweetness without masking the structure of the Nebbiolo. The grapes come from the Traversagna and Le Piane parcels, where vines between 30 and 60 years old are rooted in volcanic porphyry soils – a terroir that is unrivalled in Italy. Harvested in mid-October, thirty days on the skins, punched down daily by hand. Then aged for three to four years in large Slavonian oak vats, followed by one year of bottle ageing. No filtration. No rush.

The name is a tribute. Giodo – composed of Giovanna and Donatello, the names of his parents. Carlo Ferrini, one of Italy's most important Oenologist, has dedicated his life to Sangiovese – as a consultant for estates from Montalcino to Etna and as the designer of some of the most influential wines in Tuscany over the last three decades. It was not a question of if he would found his own winery at some point, but when. In 2002, he found it: ten hectares in Sant'Angelo in Colle, south-west Montalcino, seven of them woodland, three for the vine. And the vine here is exclusively Sangiovese – 15 carefully selected clones, planted with the patience of a man who knows that great wines are not made, but accompanied.

The grapes for this wine come mainly from a vineyard in the north-east of Montalcino with Galestro soils at an altitude of 330 to 480 metres above sea level. In addition to five different sites there, the Neri family also owns three vineyards in the south between the villages of Sant'Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell'Abate. L'Etichetta Bianca, as this Brunello is called, is medium-bodied and noble and offers bright, fresh red cherry flavours. Hints of rust and warm stone as well as subtle sweet spices add complexity. Tactile but fine, sandy tannins give it the necessary grip, the finish is delicately salty, lively and fragrant. A classic from one of the best houses in the appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

Il Caberlot is normally only bottled in magnum format. Here we offer a few bottles from a small edition, which were bottled in the 0.75 litre bottle (demi-magnum) with the addition of the name "Sommelleria" especially for restaurants.

There are moments in the life of a winemaker when past and present merge in a magical way. For Matteo Ascheri, Barolo Ascheri is such a moment – a wine that comes from the vineyard that not only bears his name, but is also the cradle of his family. It was here, in the Località Ascheri in La Morra, that the history of a winegrowing dynasty that is now one of the most respected in the whole of Piedmont began in the early 19th century. The MGA Ascheri is located on the gently sloping southern slopes of La Morra, at an altitude of 350 metres, where the fertile soils of clay, limestone marl and sand produce the lush fruitiness for which La Morra is famous. When Matteo vinified a separate Barolo from this two-hectare vineyard for the first time in 2010, it was more than just an oenological decision – it was a return to the roots, a tribute to the ancestors who once laid the foundations for the family heritage here.

NA for Nals, MA for Margreid. A tribute to two outstanding vineyards where something special can be felt, seen and felt and which have inspired cellar master Harald Schraffl to create something equally special from their grapes. A wine and the essence that expresses the essence of the small parcels in its purest form, whose typicity tells the story of the South Tyrol of tomorrow, a timeless wine with recognition value in an international context.

Marianova is the first Bolgheri Superiore to be produced without Bordeaux grape varieties. Instead, it is a 50/50 blend of Syrah and Sangiovese, an idea of Michele Satta's son Giacomo, which was first produced in 2015.

Castelnuovo dell'Abate has a character all of its own – rougher, denser and more mineral than many other parts of the appellation. The loamy-sandy soils with their high proportion of gravel, the vineyards situated between 150 and 350 metres, the lee of Monte Amiata, the cool nights from the Orcia Valley: anyone who plants vines here produces Sangiovese with character. Andrea Cortonesi has been planting vines here for almost four decades. 2021 proved a challenging year for this terroir – and for the winemaker. The late frost in April hit lower-lying plots hard, and the harvest was around 15% smaller overall than the previous year. A hot, dry summer followed, before two spells of rain in the second half of August provided the vineyards with water and gave the grapes their final aromatic depth. The long September nights did the rest: phenolic ripeness, without any signs of heat stress, and without compromising on freshness. What Uccelliera subsequently brought into the cellar was concentrated, healthy, clear – and possessed that crisp fruit intensity that makes Castelnuovo wines so distinctive.

Guidalberto bears the name of a man who shaped the Bolgheri landscape forever in the early 19th century: Guidalberto della Gherardesca, the visionary agricultural pioneer who created the famous cypress avenue – the Viale dei Cipressi – was created. What was initially intended as a practical demarcation between different areas of cultivation became the iconic silhouette of an entire region. 2023 marks a turning point for this exceptional wine. For the first time, Tenuta San Guido is positioning its Guidalberto separately from the legendary Sassicaia – a deliberate move to demonstrate that this is not a "second wine", but an independent interpretation of the Bolgheri terroir. As Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta puts it: "You can't compare them. They are completely different worlds." The 2023 vintage is a synthesis of 55 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 45 per cent Merlot. While the Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure and depth, the Merlot brings the silky texture and accessible sweetness that makes Guidalberto so distinctive. Fifteen months in French and American barriques give the wine its characteristic balance between strength and elegance.